Ladder



F. M. DE SAUSSURE, In.

LADD

.APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 19

18- RENEWED NOV. 26,1920.

Patented July 5, 1921.

/25 a? a 12b 1 7 all.

INVENTOR Fra n]: M clesawssurefi A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFltll'l.

FRANK M. DE SAUSSURE, JR, 0F GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

LADDER.

Application filed November 16, 1918, Serial No. 262,848. Renewed November 26, 1920. Serial No. 426,605.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK M. DE Sans SURE, J12, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Greenville, in the county of Greenville and State of South Carolina, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in ladders and more particularly to step-ladders, which may bereadily collapsed, and

has for an object to provide such a ladder in described and pointed out in the claims, reference bein had to the accompanying drawin in whic Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of same.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of same.

Fig. at is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation. showing the ladder collapsed.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a latch device.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line 7-7 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 8 is a detail view.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, 20, 21 indicate the stiles or side bars of the front portion of a step-ladder made according to my invention, each having a channel 22 in its inner face, within which channels the rungs 23 are pivoted. The upper end of stile 20 is beveled off on the outside as at 24 (see Figs. 2 and 4,) so that the top step 25 may lie down closely to the stile when the two side stiles are swung together so as to permit the collapsible ladder to occupy a comparatively small space.

The upper ends of the stiles 2021 are connected by the upper rung 26 and upon this rung is placed a batten 27 on which rests the top step 25, the rung, batten and top step being held together practically as a Patented July 5, 1921.

single member by the rivets 28 passed through them as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

At the upper ends of the stiles the brackets 29 extend from their rear faces and to these brackets are pivoted the upper ends of the legs or props 30, as is usual in this type of ladders and the lower ends of these legs orprops 30 are spread apart, the spreading being done manually due to the flexibility or the said legs or props. These legs are braced and held spread apart by brace bars 3182, both of which are pivoted at their upper ends to the rear faces of the legs at approximately the same height but brace 31 being longer than brace 32; these braces are provided with longitudinal slots 33 and cross each other as shown the slots overlying each other so that a bolt 34 may pass therethrough, having on its threaded end a winged nut 35. by means of which the braces may be clamped tightly against each other. As stated the braces are of unequal length, hence their lower ends will be secured to the legs at different levels. To secure the lower ends which must have a. sliding connection with the legs I provide the means shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and comprising the guidestrips 36 set off from the inner faces of the legs by blocks 37, the upper blocks and the upper ends of the strips 36 being provided with asaw kerf or slit 38 to receive the ends of a horizontal brace and lock comprising two slotted and overlapping bars 39 held in sliding relation by a wing or thumb nut 410. The opposite ends of this brace and lock are pivotally secured in the upper blocks as plainly shown in Fig. 5 so that legs can be swung toward each other in collapsing the ladder; the brace and lock formed by the bars 39 and wing nut 40 also hold the lower ends of the legs or props 30 spread apart.

To hold the side stiles oi": the front member of the step ladder in their open position and insure against accidental collapse thereof I provide on the rear face of one stile a keeper consisting of the base plate 41 and the side walls &2 provided with alined notches 43 in their upper edge. On the rear face of the other stile one end of a flat strip at is pivoted and the lower edge adjacent its opposite end is provided with spaced notches 45, which are gaged to fit over the side walls of the keeper within the notches Thus it will be that no inward movement of the stiles toward each other can take place While the strip 44 is in place.

To the inner face of stile 20 an angled bracket step 46 is secured the upper endrof said bracket being so disposed that when the ladder is in open position as shown in Fig. 2 the lowermost rung will rest on it and the ladder is prevented from Wabbling as the bracket step prevents the rung from swinging below a perfectly horizontal position. i

As the rungs are pivotally secured in the stiles at their ends and the braces are pivotally and slidably secured'at their ends and slide past each other Where they cross, it will be seen that both the front member and the prop legs can be readily collapsed or folded When the Winged nuts and 40 are loosened and the cross brace or strip 44 swung out of engagement with the keeper.

To hold the legs propped in proper angular relation to the front or rung portion the usual brace 47 having a break joint 48 is used. 7 I v To collapse the device from the condition shown in Fig. 2, the brace 44 is swung up- 7 Ward out'of its keeper, the several wing nuts loosened, and the side stiles and the legs 7 swung inwardly toward each'other, the slots in the cross braces and the guldeways 36 Wltlnn which bolts 50 at the lower ends of said cross braces travel permitting this action, so that the parts nest snuglyoceu pying comparatively little space and the rungs being practically completely housed. The Wing nuts 35 and 40 are then tightened, whereby the parts will be held together and thus prevent opening of the ladder accidentally.

I claim:

1. A step-ladder comprising folding stiles having channeled inner faces, rungs, certain of Which are pivotally mounted at their ends Within said stiles, the uppermost rung pivoted at one end only Within a channel'and rigidly secured to a batten, said batten pivotally secured Within the opposite channel, a top step rigidly connected with said batten, and means for rigidly holding the stiles, rungs and top step in unfolded position.

2. In a device as herein characterized, in combination, a pair of side stiles having op positely facing grooves or channels in their inner faces, rungs pivotally mounted in said channels, a. top step pivotall'v mounted in said channels, an angular step bracket projecting from the inner face of one side stile adjacent its lower end and beneath the lowermost rung, said bracket adapted to support the adj acent end of said rung when the lad der is in open position and prevent downward movement of said rung end andthus prevent wabbling of the ladder structure.

3. In a collapsible ladder including side stiles and rungs pivotally'connected attheir ends. in said stiles, means for spreading and locking said stiles to active position, said means including a keeper havinga pair of spaced apart notched Walls and mounted on one stile, and a bar pivotally connected at one end to the opposite stile having notches adapted to engage Within the notch in the keeper Walls.

v FRANK M. on SAUSSURE, JR.

Vitnesses MARY R. NnsBrrr, CLAUDE I. CAMPBELL. 

